Ireland

Ireland, the Emerald Isle, is a favorite vacation destination for Americans, Canadians, and Europeans because of its "soft" weather, natural beauty, and welcoming lifestyle. In fact, everyone, who travels to Ireland, feels the "1000 welcomes." When planning a trip to Ireland, squeeze out as much time as possible for an Irish vacation to make sure that nothing is missed! Well, if you miss something, you can always return again and again-and feel more welcomed each time. Remember to bring your passport, camera, warm socks-no matter what season-to wear at night in some of the bed and breakfasts, and sense of adventure.

Travelers to Ireland can fly to Shannon and Dublin or take a ferry from Great Britain. Shannon Airport is an interesting starting point for an Irish adventure. It is an easy airport to maneuver and has plenty of car rentals. After arriving in Ireland and renting a car at Shannon, drive to Limerick for lunch at a pub, visit a museum, and stay to enjoy the bright lights of the nightlife before venturing to Cashel and Cahir. Be sure to stay in bed and breakfasts during your Irish travels because they have great breakfasts and are just like staying with your family or best friends. Staying at a bed and breakfast is perfect for families. It also is a way to learn about the Ireland. The hospitality at bed and breakfasts is incomparable. Bed and breakfast proprietors can help travelers find additional bed and breakfasts for comfortable lodging for their other evenings in Ireland. After leaving County Tipperary and traveling on to the Ring of Kerry, stop to enjoy the spectacular scenery, villages along the way, and golfing. Depending on the day, many villages have market days where fresh vegetables and handmade goods are available in interesting little stalls or off the back of lorries (trucks).

For vacationers, who would rather not drive in Ireland, there are organized tours.

Irish roads are narrow with very interesting directional signs, making driving somewhat challenging, especially for Americans, Europeans, and Canadians who are use to driving on the right side of the road. Therefore, to get the most out of the beauty of the Ring of Kerry rather than concentrating on the twists and turns of the road, park the car and take a tour bus. The Irish tour bus drivers are humorous and tell colorful stories about the scenery, flora, and fauna of the beautiful Ring of Kerry with its rugged hills dotted with colorful sheep. Irish shepherds spray paint their sheep for identification purposes. Imagine jagged green and rocky mountains with florescent blue, yellow, and red dots off in the distance. The colorful dots are the sheep grazing on the steep sides of the mountains. Trekking is very interesting in the Ring of Kerry because the hills are rugged, and the hiking trails are very scenic.

After visiting the Ring of Kerry, wind along the southern coast of Ireland but make sure that you stop in Waterford and Cork, which is "artsy" and has a fascinating nightlife, before heading north to Dublin, a fair city, with great shopping, restaurants, museums, and evening entertainments for spectacular nightlife activities. After Dublin, cut through the center of Ireland to the west coast; stop by Galway to see one of the greatest collections of antiques and art in Ireland, and visit the dramatic Cliffs of Moher, 200 meters above the Atlantic Ocean, and Silgo before heading to Connemara, which is rugged and wild, and Donegal with its great beaches.

Shopping in Ireland is an adventure because the Irish are sophisticate, and the stores have the latest fashions mixed with the traditional Irish sweaters, wools, and crystal.

Ireland has famous horse stables and is known for breeding great racing horses as well as saddle horses. Therefore, depending on the season, visitors should try to see a horse race while visiting Ireland.

After Donegal, drive east to Derry or Londonderry and look at its beautiful ancient bridge. Next, visitors to Ireland should stop by the Giant's Causeway, a natural formation of rocks, which form "stepping stones for giants." The Giant's Causeway is one of the many extraordinary photo opportunities in Ireland. This area is a good place for birding before driving on to Belfast. In this region like everywhere else in Ireland, travelers can find breathtaking scenery. Following, a tour of Belfast, zigzag back to the Shannon Airport region and plan on spending your last day and evening visiting the Bunratty Castle historical area and enjoy a feast at Bunratty. This special event will be something that you will never forget. For the visitors to Ireland not using Shannon Airport, but flying through Dublin or taking a ferry, still plan a day and an evening a Bunratty. Its medieval feast is not to be missed. Hopefully, you will not be thrown in the dungeon during the feast.

In Ireland, vacationers can stay in castles and hunting lodges of the Eighteenth Century aristocrats, like Ballynahinch, to enjoy fishing at centuries old hatcheries. Additionally, there are hotels and resorts with excellent golfing as well as the welcoming bed and breakfasts and thatched roof cottages. For travelers who want an authentic Irish vacation, they even can stay at a peaceful Irish farm. However, for those visitors, who just want to relax, try an Irish spa.

Throughout Ireland, there are pubs with great traditional music, friendly hosts, interesting storytellers, and fabulous food. Some visitors say that besides the filling Irish breakfasts in the bed and breakfasts, the "pub grub" is the best food that Ireland has to offer. Kissing the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle can be hungry and thirsty work. Fortunately, there is a friendly pub nearby for refreshing in true Irish ambience. However, there also are gourmet restaurants and exquisite dinning in the hotels throughout the Emerald Isle. The southern and western regions of Ireland are known for their seafood. Galway has an oyster festival in September, and Kinsale has a gourmet food festival.

Other places to visit while in Ireland are the Aran Islands on the western Atlantic Ocean coast. Visitors can take ferries to the Aran Islands for interesting day trips. Off the rugged northwest coast, visitors can tour Tory Island. Achill Island is accessible from County Mayo, and Rathlin Island off the north east coast is wild and unspoiled.

History buffs find historical monuments and attractions at every turn. Newgrange is a UNESCO World Heritage site. There also are castles, monasteries, and ruins to visit.

Ireland, famous for its music and dancing, has fabulous music festivals in Cork, County Down, Dublin, and Killarney. Check for the dates when planning a trip.

For outdoor adventurers, there is "world-class" golfing, horseback riding, diving, sailing, bicycling (bicycle touring) particularly on the beautiful Dingle Peninsula, trekking, cruising on the Shannon, fishing, and windsurfing-just to name a few. Spelunkers can tromp through the caves in western Ireland.

Travel Suggestions:

Rather than returning home after a visit to Ireland, take a ferry to Great Britain and visit Scotland, England, and Wales.
Golfers remember the 2006 Ryder Cup will be in Ireland.

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